Coastal FIeldwork Flashcards
What is the fieldwork enquiry question
What are the coastal processes and form occurring at Pett Level
Why is this enquiry question suitable
-links to our syllabus
-clear achievable question
-concise and focused
Why is the location suitable
-length of study area allow for good spatial coverage
-measurable stretch of beach
-suitable access points
-dynamic area of coastline
-away from known hazards
What are the hypotheses
-the waves at Pett level are constructive
-longshore drift occurs from Southwest to Northeast along the coast at level
What is primary data
You collect the data
Secondary data
-someone else collects the data like books, journal articles and the internet
How is secondary data useful for us
-geology map: helps us see which areas may be eroding faster, based on hard or soft rock
-recent weather: indicate if there was storm action, which can change wave properties and energy
-tide timings and direction: can change the size of beach and for safety
Quantitative methods
-quantitative: They are quantifiable, can be counted, measured and expressed using numbers
-qualitative data: they are descriptive and conceptual
Examples of quantitative data we used
-beach profiles
-sediment samples
-wave counts
Qualitative data examples
-photographs
-field sketches
Benefits of primary data
Collected yourself, know the methodology
Negatives of primary data
-budget equipment, lower accuracy
-spend own time
Benefits of secondary data
-bigger in scope (sample area), easier to get
-typically better equipment
Negatives of Seoncdary data
Unaware of reliability
Can be biased for a cause
Random sampling
-each sample has an equal probability of being chosen
Advantages of random sampling
-removes human biases, will be fair
-no knowledge need of area being sampled
Disadvantages of random sampling
Poor representation of the overall area
Systematic sampling
Chosen data is evenly distributed
A space of interval between samples is selected by the researcher
Benefits of systematic sampling
-no knowledge needed of area being sampled
-no bias
-don’t need random number
Sampling techniques used
-systematic along the beach at 20m intervals
-stratified up the beach, sampling at every gradient change spotted by eye
-random sampling for sediment samples
Methodology for beach profiles
- Measure a distance of 2m from the shoreline
Negatives of systematic sampling
May lead to misrepresentation of the area
Stratified sampling
A type of sampling technique in which each aspect of the population is proportionally represented
Benefits of stratified
Gives an accurate representation of the whole area
Removes bias
Stratified sampling negatives
-must have detailed prior knowledge
-may not have access to each category
